Fire-escape.



Patented Oct. l7, I899. E. M. CHRIST.

FIRE ESCAPE.

(Application filed Aug. 16, 1899.)

{No Model.)

V A W WITNESSES ou'mo. wns lmorou o c UNTTED STATES PATENT Tries.

EDI/VARD M. CHRIST, OF PINE GROVE, PENNSYLVANIA.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 635,235, dated October17, 1899.

Application filed August 16, 1899. Serial No. 727,413. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDWARD M. OHRIsT, of Pine Grove, in the county ofSchuylkill and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and ImprovedFire-Escape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

This invent-ion relates to a lowering apparatus adapted to the'work ofgradually lowering objects of any sort, but especially de signed for useas a fire-escape, the apparatus involving a sand-cylinder with avalve-controlled outlet, in which cylinder Works a screw-driven followeractuated by the means to which the object to be lowered is attached andserving to retard the movement of such means, such means also actuatingthe valve of the outlet of the cylinder to regulate the flow of the sandtherefrom.

This specification is'the disclosure of one form of my invention, whilethe claims define the actual scope thereof.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the invention. Fig. 2 is a section onthe line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, and Fig.5 is a section onthe line 4 4 of Fig. 1 with parts in a different position.

The object to be lowered is connected with a rope or other flexiblestructure 6, which is wound over a spool 7, held in the frame 8 of theapparatus. This spool 7 is provided with a removable hand-crank 9, bywhich the rope may be wound upon the spool after having been unwoundtherefrom. The axis of the spool 7 carries a bevel-gear 10, which mesheswith a similar gear 11. This gear is held to turn between abearing-sleeve 12, located at its bottom, and a flanged bushing 14,located at its top. The hub of the gear 11 is threaded and works with athreaded shaft 15, to which is attached a follower 16. This follower isformed with openings 18 therein to permit the passage of the sand orother granular material employed downward below it, and the followerworks vertically in a sand-cylinder 17.

The bottom of the sand-cylinder is formed with openings 19 therein, anda valve-plate 20 is pivotally mounted in thelongitudinal center of thecylinder below the bottom thereof. ings 21, which are normally out ofregistry with the openings 19, as shown in Fig. 4, but which may bethrown into registry with the openings 19, as shown in Fig. 5, by themove ment of the valve-plate 20, as described. The valve-plate 20 has anextension 22, to which is connected a spring 23, serving normally tohold the valve-plate in the position shown in Fig. 4. The extension 22is connected with one end of a roller 24, the other end of which is heldloosely in a bearing 25, supported on the frame. Mounted above theroller 24 is a This'valve-plate is provided with openroller 26, and aroller 27 is mounted below- .from the cylinder 17, I provide a pan 28,which is located beneath the cylinder and held in the frame 8. This panis removable, and when it is full of sand it may be lifted to the top ofthe cylinder and its contents discharged upon the follower 16, fromwhich the sand passes downward below the follower through the openingslsthereof.

In the operation of my invention the cylinder 17 is filled with the sandor other granular material employed. When the parts are in normalposition, the spring 23 will hold the valve 20 closed; but when pressureis applied to the rope 6 it tends to throw the roller 24 to one side,thus uncovering the openings 19 and permitting the sand to pass out ofthe cylinder. It is clear that the follower 16 cannot descend until thesand begins to run out of the cylinder, and it is also clear that thisdescent of the follower will be regulated by the amount of sand thatfalls from the cylinder. The pressure on the rope 6 will maintain theroller 24 steadily at'a certain position,which position depends upon theamount of pressure upon the rope,and by these means the sand ispermitted to gradually flow from the cylinder and the follower 16 ispermitted to gradually descend. The rotation of the spool 7 iscontrolled by the follower, and consequently the rope 6, with the objectto be lowered attached, is caused to descend gradually. The turning ofthe spool 7 to wind the rope 6 thereon will also result in the reversemovement of the shaft -that is to say, the raising of the shaft and thereturn of the follower to the elevated position.

Various changes in the form, proportions, and minor details of myinvention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and scopeof my invention. Hence I consider myself entitled to all such variationsas may lie within the scope of my claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1. The combination of a cylinder, a valve commandingthe outlet therefrom, a follower movable in the cylinder and loweringmeans,

the descent of which is controlled by the fol-.

lower, the lowering means having connection with the valve, to actuatethe same.

2. The combination of a cylinder, a valve commanding the outlettherefrom, a follower moving in the cylinder, lowering means, thedescent of which is controlled by the follower, such lowering meanscomprising a rope, and a transversely-movable member having con nectionwith the valve and engaging the rope,

, to hold the rope laterally out of its straight course, so that whenthe rope becomes taut it throws said member to actuate the valve.

lowering device, such means comprising a valve, and a member inconnection with the valve to operate the same, the member engaging therope, to hold the same laterally out ofits straight course so that whenthe rope becomes taut, it moves the member to throw the valve.

4. In a lowering apparatus, the combination with a frame, of a cylindermounted therein, a follower moving in the cylinder, a threaded shafthaving connection with the follower, a gear-wheel held to turn in theframe and having threaded connection with the shaft to move the samelongitudinally, a spool geared with the gear-wheel, a rope Wound overthe spool, a valve commanding the outlet of the cylinder, a rollercapable of movementlaterally and having connection with the valve toactuate the same, and two additional rollers respectively arranged aboveand below the first-named roller, the rope being engaged with all of therollers to hold the rope out of its straight course, so that whentension is applied to the rope it moves the first-named roller laterallyto throw the valve.

5. In alowering apparatus, the combination of a cylinder, a followerworking therein, a lowering device in connection with the follower, thedescent of the lowering device being regulated by the follower, andvalve mechanism regulated by the strain on the lowering device.

' EDWARD M. CHRIST. \Vitnesses:

W. I. HALDEMAN, A. M. ZIMMERMAN.

